Introducing our brand new series Leftovers to Nextovers. Each month, we’ll feature a recipe that turns leftovers or unused ingredients into something Droolworthy! The February edition is an Asian Roast Duck Salad made with Chinese New Year leftovers.
The origins of Leftovers to Nextovers
When we read a survey published in February 2016 that revealed that Singapore wastes 800,000 tonnes of food each year (about two bowls of rice thrown out per person a day), the astounding statistics really got us thinking.
At Drool, we hate to throw good food away, so we came up with Leftovers to Nextovers to challenge ourselves (and you) to come up with creative ways to breathe new life into old food.
This inaugural edition, which comes hot off the heels of Chinese New Year, couldn’t have been more timely. Leftovers are aplenty during the Lunar New Year, as it’s typically a season of abundance in food. We opened our fridge and found a fair bit of roast duck – too good to throw; too much to eat – and with that, decided to whip up a CNY inspired Asian Roast Duck Salad to balance the meat with some much-needed greens.
CNY Inspired Asian Roast Duck Salad
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients
- 4 cups mixed salad greens,
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 green onion, cut into 1-½ inch slivers
- 1 head of fennel
Dressing
- ¼ cup of salad or olive oil
- ½ tablespoon palm vinegar
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ of a Chinese roast duck, boned and shredded
- 1 Asian pear, cored and cut into thin wedges
- ½ cup glazed walnuts
Method
- Prepare all the greens needed for the salad.
- Cut the duck breast from the carcass in one piece, with the skin attached. Slice the breast and skin crosswise into very thin slices and remove the remaining meat. Shred the meat.
- Combine the salad greens: fennel, parsley, mint, green onion, and carrot in a salad bowl and toss well. Cover and refrigerate.
- In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients; whisk until smooth and set aside.
- Set aside a few slices of the duck breast for garnish. Place the rest of the duck meat in the salad; toss to combine. Add half the dressing; toss to coat. Arrange the sliced duck breast and pear over the salad. Garnish with the glazed walnuts. Serve and enjoy!
Not a fan of roast duck? Substitute the roast duck with any other roast meat of your choice. You could even replace the pear with mandarin oranges to make it an authentic Chinese New Year inspired salad!
Tried out the Leftovers to Nextovers recipe featured here? Be sure to share your creations with us on Instagram, #droolsnaps. Remember to check back next month for more “nextover” recipes.